Bowl Season Underway as NFL Winds Down
College football betting kicks off on Saturday with four matchups, but the National Football League still highlights a wagering schedule that also includes the NBA and college basketball.
Top games on the NFL betting slate for early on Sunday this week include Indianapolis at Kansas City and New Orleans at Carolina, with the Colts and Chiefs both playoff bound in the AFC and the Saints and Panthers locked atop the NFC South standings. Kansas City opened as a 7-point favorite at 5Dimes against Indianapolis, with Carolina opening as a 3-point favorite at the sportsbook.
Later on Sunday the marquee matchups are Arizona at Seattle, Pittsburgh at Green Bay, and New England at Baltimore, with Chicago on the road in Philadelphia in the Sunday night game. The Eagles opened as 3-point favorites at 5Dimes against the Bears, with both teams trying to secure a division title over the last two weeks of the NFL's regular-season schedule.
Monday Night Football for Week 16 will then be Atlanta at San Francisco; the 5Dimes opening lines set the Niners as big 13.5-point favorites for the primetime matchup.
Four college football bowl games are on the schedule for Saturday, with Washington State vs. Colorado State in the New Mexico Bowl, Buffalo vs. San Diego State in the Idaho Potato Bowl, Tulane vs. Louisiana-Lafayette in the New Orleans Bowl, and Fresno State vs. USC in the Las Vegas Bowl. The biggest favorite from that group is USC, which is listed as 6-point chalk against Fresno State at 5Dimes. Washington State (-4) and Buffalo (-1) are also set as favorites for their matchups, with Louisiana-Lafayette vs. Tulane listed as a pick'em.
The NBA's Thursday night doubleheader this week has Chicago at Oklahoma City and San Antonio at Golden State, with the Spurs riding a three-game winning streak against the Warriors into the matchup. San Antonio topped Golden State 76-74 when they last met on November 8, but the Spurs failed to cover the 6-point spread at home in that contest.
Meanwhile, the Miami Heat will have a rematch with the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night at home, with Indiana topping Miami 90-84 as a 3.5-point home favorite last Tuesday night.
Finally, college basketball offers several big betting matchups this week, including Florida vs. Memphis at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night, UCLA vs. Duke at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night, and Oklahoma State vs. Colorado at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday night.